TREASURY. 



695 



Bailing vessels of the United States belonging to the 

 commercial ni;ivitie, specifying their names, rig, ton- 

 nage, home port, ami place and date of building, and 

 to investigate- the operations of the navigation laws 

 and report to the Secretary of the Treasury any needed 

 amendments thereto. 



The chief of division of special agents is charged 

 with the supervision and enforcement of the regu- 

 lations for the prevention of smuggling and frauds 

 on the customs revenue ; the supervision over cus- 

 toms districts and over the acts of customs officers 

 and their books and records, with a view of secur- 

 ing uniformity in their methods of transacting busi- 

 ness ; the supervision of the transportation of mer- 

 chandise in bond, and the investigation of cases arising 

 from alleged irregularities in connection with such 

 transportation, and the enforcement of the laws and 

 regulations relating to the establishment of bonded 

 routes and mode of transportation. The principal 

 duties of the chief of the secret service division of the 

 department are to detect and to bring to trial persons 

 engaged in counterfeiting the coin, currency, and se- 

 curities of the United States, and these engaged in 

 passing or dealing in the same, as well as to detect 

 other felonies committed against the laws of the 

 United States relating to the pay and bounty laws. 



The Light-House Hoard is composed of two officers 

 of the navy of high rank, two oili.-ers of the corps of 

 eiiL'ineers of the army, and two civilians of high 

 (ei' n'ilic attainment.;, together with an officer of the 

 navy p.nd an officer of ciiL-incers of the army as seere- 

 t.n-ies. all of whom are appointed by the President. 

 Under (lit; superintendence of the Secretary of the 

 Tr-asnry the board is required to discharge all adminis- 

 trative duties relating to the construct ion. illumination, 

 inspection, and superintendence of light-houses, light- 

 vessels, Ix'acons, buoys, and their appendages, em- 

 bracing tin; security of foundations of works already 

 existing, the piirrli.-i.-ing of illuminatinc anil other ap- 

 paratus, siipplie-i. and materials of all kinds fo.' build- 

 in:; and for rebiiiidiiii;. and the keejiiinr in good repair 

 the Njrht-honaM, light-vessels. U-aeons. and buoys of 

 the United Stales. It is required also to take charge 

 and custody of all the archives, hooks, documents, 

 drawings, models, ami other property appertaining to 

 the ligiit-hou.se establishment. (See Ll<lllT-Hol SK. ) 

 " The office of solicitor of the treasury was estab- 

 lished by act of May '_"., ls.30. Previously there 

 had been an agent of the treasury whose duty com- 

 prised the collection of oftVial balances due by de- 

 linquent officers of the government and of other 

 debts ilne the United Stales. In addition to the 

 duties which devolved upon this agent the solicitor is 

 required to take cognizance of all frauds or attempted 

 frauds upon the revenue, and to exercise a general su- 

 pervision over the measures for their prevention ami 

 detection, and for (he prosecution of jwrsons charged 

 witli the commission thereof. It is his duty also to 

 establish such regulations for the observance of collec- 

 tors of customs and of officers of U. S. courts respect- 

 ing suits in which the United States is a party, as may 

 be necessary for the just responsibility of those officers 

 and the prompt collection of all revenues and debts due 

 and accruing to the government, excepting those aris- 

 ing under the internal revenue laws, which are in 

 charge of the solicitor of internal revenue. Though 

 nominally attached to the treasury department, he is 

 in reality an officer of the Department of Justice, and 

 may be required by the Attorney -General to give his 

 opinion in writing on any question of law submitted by 

 any department for the opinion of the latter, except 

 questions involving a construction of the Constitution 

 i if the United States, and to perform anv other duty 

 required of the Department of Justice or any officer 

 thereof. 



It will thus be seen that the details involved in the 

 transaction of the immense and varied business of the 

 fiscal department of the United States government are 



wisely and systematically distributed among a series of 

 responsible officers. The clerical and other forces em- 

 ployed in the various offices and bureaus number 

 lo.ii'.iT, of whom 2851' are in bureaus at Washington, 

 4450 in the customs service, 3303 in the internal reve- 

 nue service, 94S in the mints and assay offices, 225 in 

 the several sub-treasuries, and 3919 in the life-saving, 

 marine hospital, steamboat inspection, and revenue 

 marine bureaus, and in the various public buildings 

 and other branches of the department located through- 

 out the country. 



The general system of accounting in force in the de- 

 partment- which was conceived and put in operation 

 by Alexander Hamilton, its first secretary has proven 

 so admirably adapted to the purposes for which it was 

 intended that but few modifications have since been 

 made in its practical application. 



The following statements exhibit the principal oper- 

 ations of the department during the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, ISSS, and the condition of the treasury at 

 the close of the year : 



Rrrri'i>rs ninl K.rpcniHtiirr*. The revenues of the 

 government arc mainly derived from duties on im- 

 ports, and it ternal taxes upon distilled spirits, fer- 

 mented liquors, tobacco, and banking. The expendi- 

 tures are mainly on account of the war and navy de- 

 partments, pensions, interest on the public debt, and 

 the ehil service. The revenues from all sources for 

 the fiscal year ISSS aggregated $379,266,074. 7(>, of 

 which $2111. 091. 173.03 were from duties on imports, 

 i? 2!. 2%. 87 1. 98 from internal taxes, $11.202,017.23 

 from sales of public lands, and $24,076,01 1.92 from 

 miscellaneous sources. The expenditures for the same 

 period were $267.924.801.131, as follows: civil and 

 miscellaneous, $72.952,260.80; war department, $38,- 

 :>22.4:;r>. II ; navy department, $16,926,437.65; In- 

 dian serviee. $<>,24 ( J, 307.87; pensions, $80,288,508.77; 

 premium on bonds purchased, $8.270,842.46; and in- 

 terest on the debt. $44.715,1107.47, leaving a surplus 

 of $111.341,373.63, of which $43, 732. 550. (X) was ap- 

 plied to the redemption of bonds for the sinking-fund, 

 and $31,081,013.05 to ordinary redemption of the 

 debt. As compared with the previous fiscal year, 

 there was an increase in the revenues of $1 1,041,749.- 

 3S in the following items : duties on imports, $1,804,- 

 2S0.50; internal taxes, $5,473.480. 7d ; sales of public 

 lands. $1.947,730.81 ; and from miscellaneous sources, 

 sl.sii-,,257.31. There was a decrease of $3,178,952.28 

 in the following : tax on circulation of national banks, 

 $C.:>7,2S4.33; sales of Indian lands. $598.941.38; re- 

 payment of interest and sinking-fund. Pacific railroads, 

 ^ll!7.L > (K).fi2. and from sales of old public buildings and 

 uiisccllaiieous sources. $1,515,525.95, making a net in- 

 crease of revenue of $7,862,797.10. The expendi- 

 tures were practically the same in the aggregate as for 

 the fiscal year 1 SS7. 



The, National JirtnJcs. The following shows the 

 condition of the national banks on June 30, 1888, as 

 represented by reports from 3120 banks then in 

 operation. 



Jtaourrri. 



Loans and discounts $1,610,999,200.68 



Overdrafts 8,125,364.15 



U. 8. bonds to secure circulation 177,543,900.00 



U. S. bonds to secure deposits 55,788,000.00 



U.S. bonds on liaml 7,830,150.00 



Other stocks, bonds, and mortgages 96,265,812.31 



Due from approved reserve agents 158,133,598.31 



Due from oilier national banks 101,f>8i>,774.SO 



Due from State banks and bankers 22,714,258.27 



Real estate, furniture, and fixtures.. 61,101,833.19 



Current expenses and taxes paid 5,685,313.21 



Premiums paid 18,903,434.54 



Checks and other cash items 16,855,801.15 



Exchanges for clearing-house 74,229,763.69 



Bills of other national banks 21,343,405.00 



Fractional currency 632,602.42 



Trade dollars 371.76 



Gold coin 74,825,782.84 



Gold treasury certificates 68,761,930.00 



